Bahrain deports 450 Pakistanis after alleged torture

At least 450 Pakistanis who were sent to Bahrain to join its army were deported back home after allegedly being kept hostage for 19 months, Express News reported on Thursday.

The young Pakistanis, who are all university graduates, were issued visas by the Pakistani government and were promised a job in the Bahrain Army with the starting salary of Rs100,000. The army, however, took the young men hostage and tortured them, according to one of the deportees.

The men were not given food and access to toilets for five days and were not allowed to phone their family and friends back home.

Around 100 more Pakistanis are expected to be deported tomorrow.

The young men, protesting against the Bahrain government, urged the United Nations to take notice of the incident.

Last month, around 700 Pakistani workers were stranded in Saudi Arabia after their passports were taken and they were not allowed to work. A Turkish company had hired these Pakistani workers through different travel and recruiting agencies during 2011 after payment of a hefty sum against visa issuance.

This is interesting in the broader context of the improving Pakistan-Iran relationship and the tense Pakistan-Saudi relationship.

I was actually wondering about the impact of the Iran-Pakistan relationship on the support Pakistan provided to the Bahraini government, supposedly at the behest of the Saudis, and this particular incident might answer that question.

Yet another step towards a realignment of the Pakistan-Gulf Arab relationship perhaps?

This is interesting in the broader context of the improving Pakistan-Iran relationship and the tense Pakistan-Saudi relationship.

I was actually wondering about the impact of the Iran-Pakistan relationship on the support Pakistan provided to the Bahraini government, supposedly at the behest of the Saudis, and this particular incident might answer that question.

Yet another step towards a realignment of the Pakistan-Gulf Arab relationship perhaps?

This is interesting in the broader context of the improving Pakistan-Iran relationship and the tense Pakistan-Saudi relationship.

I was actually wondering about the impact of the Iran-Pakistan relationship on the support Pakistan provided to the Bahraini government, supposedly at the behest of the Saudis, and this particular incident might answer that question.

Yet another step towards a realignment of the Pakistan-Gulf Arab relationship perhaps?

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what you are doing is postmortem.

The article clearly mentions that these men were sent by Pakistani establishment to join Bahraini army.

What made your government to wait for 19 long months?

What was your envoy doing in Bahrain?

Is this a case of cheating?

Why did Bahrain army torture them?

what is the established framework for Pakistani nationals to serve in Bahraini army?

Of course - the Bahraini protests were led by the majority Shia community against the Sunni monarchy. The Sunni monarchy in Bahrain receives a lot of Saudi support because of the potential impact any Shia uprising in Bahrain on the Saudi Shia population. Iran is also suspected of supporting the Shia populations in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, so any increased Pakistan-Iran cooperation would probably invite blow-back from the Saudi and Bahrain Monarchies.

What else would you call the analysis of incidents after they have occurred?

The article clearly mentions that these men were sent by Pakistani establishment to join Bahraini army.

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I mentioned that in my post, so I fail to understand your point in mentioning it.

What made your government to wait for 19 long months?

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Did the Pakistani government wait for 19 long months or did the Bahraini government refuse to release them for 19 long months?

What was your envoy doing in Bahrain?

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Why would any diplomat be in another country?

Is this a case of cheating?

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It is, IMO, part of shifting regional dynamics as I have attempted to explain in my earlier posts on this thread.

what is the established framework for Pakistani nationals to serve in Bahraini army?

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I believe there is no established framework - this was a unique situation that arose because of the Shia protests in Bahrain. The Pakistani nationals were induced to apply for recruitment in the Bahraini Army with promises of compensation (including possible citizenship) like they would have been for any other commercial position.

Some of the comments on the Express Tribune appear to suggest that the individuals deported were Shia or suspected of being Shia by the Bahraini government.

Concerned:
Well I can see lots of emotional and pointless discussion on the forum. The fact is there are thousands of Pakistanis working in Bahrain Army and Policy (Total number of Pakistani working in Bahrain are more than hundred thousand making almost 10% of the entire population of small Island of Bahrain.). Few weeks back two Pakistanis were fired based on disciplinary action. The entire lot sent back to Pakistan threatened an agitation and protest to save the two guys, which is against the norms of every Army in the world. These guys were also shipped back along with the two. They should be grateful for not being Court Marshalled and that is primarily due to Pakistani Embassy and Government.
All Pakistanis here either in Police and Army get accommodation, good salary and medical and other standard perks, which I am for sure are many times more than the earnings of their counterparts in Pakistani Army.

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Shaami:
@Concerned: I agree since my relatives are serving in Bahrain Police so there are many Pakistanis working in police and in Bahrain Army. Bahrain have a huge population of Bahraini Balochs as well and also Many people from Punjab and KPK represent in Army and Police.
I had a discussion with my Relative and he told me that after the Sunni-Shia conflict Bahrain government is very very cautious and Some Pakistani Shias are found to directly involved in Espionage and religious discussions and even promoting the Rebellion within the government and they are bringing religion into everything and that is one of the reasons of Disciplinary action is taken against them.

It is a balancing act on both sides - Pakistan does not want to alienate the Gulf Arab States completely because of the economic links and large Pakistani diaspora, and at the same time the Gulf Arab States would probably not want to completely lose all influence over Pakistan and drive her into an even deeper relationship with Iran.

You will find it interesting to contrast the views of some commentators who are virulently anti-Assad and strongly advocate increased military and economic assistance for the Syrian rebels, with the views of these very same individuals on the Shia protests in Bahrain against the Sunni Bahraini monarchy.

The ideology of the groups persecuting the Shia in Pakistan is a result of decades of Gulf Arab money and extremist anti-Shia ideology pouring into Pakistan.

during the arab spring in Bahrain 2011 i watched on youtube that some arab Bahraini women in pure arab accent on al-jazeera were like shouting no police/army jobs should be given 2 syrian n paki men........

ever u have seen sectarian violence in Iraq on youtube my god the geo-political scenario is like torture-chamber when compared 2 pak....pak is still 60-40 when it comes shia-sunni LeJ produced volence.........

ever u have seen sectarian violence in Iraq on youtube my god the geo-political scenario is like torture-chamber when compared 2 pak....pak is still 60-40 when it comes shia-sunni LeJ produced volence.........

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Have you ever wondered whether the US backed out of overthrowing Saddam and pulled out its support for the Shia led uprising against him after the first Gulf War because of Saudi pressure and influence?

What else would you call the analysis of incidents after they have occurred?

I mentioned that in my post, so I fail to understand your point in mentioning it.

Did the Pakistani government wait for 19 long months or did the Bahraini government refuse to release them for 19 long months?

Why would any diplomat be in another country?

It is, IMO, part of shifting regional dynamics as I have attempted to explain in my earlier posts on this thread.

I believe there is no established framework - this was a unique situation that arose because of the Shia protests in Bahrain. The Pakistani nationals were induced to apply for recruitment in the Bahraini Army with promises of compensation (including possible citizenship) like they would have been for any other commercial position.

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Letting people work for foreign army is not equal to applying for any commercial position